Car loader



F. STAPLES May l 3924;

CAI; LOADER Filed May 24. 192s f 3 Sheets-Sheet l.l

. n llllll. i: n

:lull

-F.STAPLES may n3 ma@ CAR LODER Filed May 24, 192:5

3 Sheets-Sheet z www, Mw m. w m.

may n3 w24 EASSE B F. STAPLES CAR LOADER Filed May 24, v19255 3 Sheets-Sheet 5- v lowering the center of gravity thereof inthe working position; to secure the loader l .EES

1,4%,7 PATENT omer.,

F STLES, OF NEG'AUNEE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 NEGAUNEE MECHANICAL SEOVEL COMPANY, 0F NEGAUNEE, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN'.

can lLorman.

Application led May 24, 1923. Serial No. 641,140.

To all whom 'it` 'may concern U Be it known that l, Fnnn STAPLEs, a citizenofthe United States, anda resident of `Ne annee, county of Marquette and State of ichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car Loaders, of which the following is a specification.

My inventign relates to`loaders of the type which are adaptedto scoop up and load material into cars, and has reference more particularly to improvements in the loader shown and described in Letters Patent, 1.366,201, granted June 18, 1921, to John Mayne. v

The principal objects of my invention are to increase the stability of the loader, by

more firmly onto the track; to provide improved means for advancing the loader along the track as the`work progresses; to improve the dipper hoisting mechanism; to

facilitate the placing of the car to be loaded on the loading device vas Well as the removal therefrom; and in general, lto simplify the ,construction and increase the durability and Fig. 6 a fragmentary view', with parts in' section, showingI the loader mounted on its removable truck for transportation.

Referring to -the drawings, the reference numeral -1 indicates the base of the machine which preferably consists of' a flat heavy` plate, 'and-supportstlie main structure of.

--the loader'which is preferably provided with a heavy bottom plate or platform 2 which is pivoted on the base plate 1 by means of the king pin 3, so that the latter plate vserves ,as a ,turntable to permit the'ladng device to beswung around to different positions; Any suitabe construction may be provided for aifording the desired freedom of rota# tionof the plate 2, for example, the upper .opening from the pipe 20 to and lower bearinpr plates 4 and 5 which are secured respectively to the top plate 2 and base plate 1 and have a circular series yof ball bearings 6 interposed therebetween in a suitable raceway.

This loader is designed for use in connection with a track consisting of a pair of properly spaced rails 7, upon which cars 8,l

which are to be loaded are brought up to and taken away` from the loader, said cars being adapted to be mounted on the top plate 2 of the device when they are t0 be loaded. To this end a pair of rails 9 are ,mountedon the plate 2 and spaced apart per itself and the hoisting mechanism, is`

substantially the same as that of the Mayne 'patent above referredA to. and comprises a` pair of horizontally disposed crowding cylinders 11 which are secured respectively along the'sides of the plate 2 immediately adjacent Vthe upturnededge portions or side flanges 12 thereof, and each cylinder has a piston 13 therein with a piston rod 14 projecting from the forward end of the cylinder and horizontally pivoted to the side arms of the frame 15` which latter has the dipper l'secured to the forward end. An air supply pipe 17 controlled by the main valve 18 is connected to a suitable source of "air supply through a pipe line consisting in whole or 'in part of the hose 19, said pipe 17 being extended upwardly at the side of the device so that operating valves are conveniently accessible to the operator, and this pipe 17 has a pipe 20 connected to the upperv end and leading through the valve l21: to the pipesv 22 and 23` which are connected to the rear ends of the cylinders 11. The valve 21 is of any .suitable form which may be optionally'vadj'usted toJ afford communication from the main pipe 17 to the pipe 20 for' .forcing'thepistons 1 3v forwardly in the cyl' inders 11, or may beladjus'ted Ato interrupt such communication and ail'ord an exhaust exhaust the air from thecylinders 11. i

Mounted on the top plate 2 between the rails 9 are a pair of hoisting cylinders 24 with pistons 25 therein having' forwardly extending piston rods 26 connected to the cross head 27,- which latter 'carries the sheave 28. An upright trame 29 is mounted at the forward end of the top plate 2 and supports` a sheave 3() at an elevation so that thelower portion of said sheave is substantially at the same level as the upper portion of the sheave 28. There .is also a sheave itl at the top ot the frame 29. A cable 32 has one end attached to a suitable fastener ti?, on the top plate 2 ot the machine` and is passed forwardly around the sheave 28. then rearwardly around the sheave 30. then upwardly over the sheave 31 and has the other end connected to a bracket 34 on the rear o'f the dipper 16. Braces 35 at oppositel sides ot' the machine connect the upper portion ot the frame 29 to the side flanges 12 of the top plate 2 at points remote from the forward end of the machine to reinforce the trame 9 sufficiently to sustain the litting strains imposed thereon in the operation of lifting the dipper.

A branch pipe 36 is also connected to the upper end of the pipe 17 and leads through a valve 37 similar to the valve 21, to the rear ends ot the cylinders 24 for supplying pressure to torce the pistons 25 forwardly1 in the cylinders. n

ln the operation ot this device, the car S is run up onto the rails 9 to the position shown by dotted lines at 8 in Fig. 2, said rails 9 being preferably inclined rearwardly as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, to facilitate removal ot the loaded car from the loader` and in order to hold the ear in place during the loa-ding operation. an eye 38 is provided on each of the ears which is engaged by a hook 39 on the frame 29. When the. car is in place, the air is vfirst admitted to the crowding cylinders 11 by operating the valve 21 to force the dipper 16 forwardly onto the pile of material which is to be loaded into the car. When the flipper 16 is filled, the valve 21 is turned to the exhaust posit-ion` and the valve 37 operated to admit air into thehoisting cyl-- inders 24. This forces the cross head 2T forwardly and exert-sa pull on the cable 32 the first eti'ezt of which is to force the pistons 13 rearwardly in the crowding cylinders 11. When the .latter reach the limit of their rearward movement the further operation of the pistons 25 causes the cable32 to swing the dipper frame 15 on the pivots 40,

thereby lifting the dipper tothe uprightposition shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.y The rear end of the dipper 16 is termed with an inclined wall 41 which in thel upright position of the dipper extends rearwardly and downwardly and projects over the forward end of the cai` 8, so as to discharge the contents of the. dipper into the car,` such discharge being facilitated by proper' operation of the elevating mechanism to cause the dipper frame to impact against the top ot' the traine 29 so as to throw the contents of the dipper back toward the rear end ot' the car. By proper manipulation of the valve 37 which controls the hoisting mechanism, the contents ot' the dipper can be distributed throughout the car as desired.

ln the working Aposition the base plate 1 rests directly on the rails 7 as shown in Fig. 2, the latter being provided on the un` der side with pairs of angle plates 43 near the front and rear respectively which depend at the side of the rails and prevent lateral shitting ot' the loader von the rails. To hold the device against rearward movement along the rails 7 as the dipper 16 is forced against the material to be taken up, the base plate 1 is provided at the front corners with connector plates 44 to which chains 45 are attached, and these chains are suitably connected to the framework ot the tunnel or otherwise secured so as to hold the loader against reverse movement.

For directing the-car 8` from the rails 7 up onto the rails 9 of the loader, a `detachable runway 4G is provided comprising a pair of short rails which are spaced apart the same distance asthe rails 9 and 7, and the rails of this runway 46 have apertures at their upper ends to engage pins 47 on the rear end of the plate 2 for holding the railsof the runway 46in alignment .with the rails 9. The top plate 2 as above indicated.l swings on the base plate 1 around the pin 3 as a center, and the rails ot the runway 46 whieh" have their lower ends tapered so as to tit properly ontop of the rails 7 may be readily adjusted. by swinging the top plate 2, so as tol register with the rails 7.- Y v For transporting the loader yfrom place to place. the truck-42 is provided, and this has suitable sockets 48 in the top to receive the depending portions ot the angles 43 to hold the loader in place on the truck. and it also has a socket 49 for the lower end ot the pin 3. Then the loader is in operation the truck is of course removed. so that the loader rests directly on the rails 7, and the truck may be found convenient for tramming timber or transporting other materials along the track 7.

As the work progresses, it is necessary to advance the loader from time to time, and for this purpose I have provided a device .which may be. interlocked with the rails 7 vse' mesma Velevation of the track and the clamping device 50-51 engaged with the rails 7 so that the chain 51 lies over the point of the dipper. Air is then admitted to the crowding cylinders 11 which tend to force the dipper rearwardly. rlhis imposes a tension on the chain 51 and twists the blocks around on.

the rails, thereby causing them to grip the rails, and as the dipper isythen restrained against rearward movement, the action' of the crowding cylinders forces the loader forwardly along the rails 7, the angle plates 43 serving as guides to hold the loader on the rails. When the loader has been ladvanced sufficiently the slack is taken up in the chains 45 or the latter are connected to further advance timbers of the tunnel, and the dipper 16 isthen withdrawn from engagementwwith the clampingv device -i-51 and,E elevated, after which the loader is `swung around so as to again face forwardly.

With this device it will be noted that 1n the operativeV condition of the loader the tracks 9 are elevated only a Short distance above the rails 7 so that the cars 8 may be run up onto the loader without diculty, and the loaded cars removed without danger of tipping or spillin the contents of the car, the removal of the oaded carbeing facilitated by the inclination of the rails 9 which gives the car a tendency to roll off of the loader underits own weight when the hook 39 is disengaged from the eye 38. i

While l have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, lf am aware that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the prin ciples of my invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the appended claims.

l claim as my invention: Y

1. ln an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a .platform having va framework extending upwardly therefrom Aat one end, a pair of crowding cylinders at opposite sides of the platform having piston rods projecting forwardly therefrom, a

frame horizontally pivoted to the forward' ends of the pistons and having a dipper at the outerend, a pair of hoistingcyllnders i. mounted on the platform lbetween the crowding cylinders and having piston rods projecting from the forward endsthereof,

a cross head connecting the forward ends of said latter piston rods and having a sheave mounted thereon, va cable connected to the dipper and engaging said sheave for operation by the forward movement of the pistons of the hoisting cylinders to lift the dipper and its supporting frame to an upright position, and a pair of rails on the platform between the hoisting cylinders and a the crowding cylinders adapted to support the dipper when the latter is thrown to the upright posit-ion. t

2. n a device of the class described, the combination of a. platform having an upright frame at the forward end, a pair of vertically spaced sheaves on the upright frame, a pair, of horizontal hoisting cylinders mounted on the platform and having piston rods extending forwardly therefrom', a cross head yconi'iecting the forward ends of said piston rods and provided with a sheave thereon, a reciproc'able dip-per frame horizontally pivoted at the forward end of the platform and having a dipper secured to the outer end, and a cable looped around the sheave on the cross head and engaging the vertically spaced sheaves on the uprlght frame and having one end xed and the other end connected at the forward end of the pivoted dipper frame.

3. 1n a-device ofthe class described, the

combination of a platform having an npright frame at the forward end, a dipper` frame horizontally pivoted at the front of the platform, means for reciprocating said dipper frame to and from the plaform, hoisting-mechanism connected at the forward end of thetdipper frame for swinging the latter to an upright position in front of the aforesaid upright frame, a dipper on la car in position to receive lthe contents of the forward end of the dipper frame having a rear wall angularly disposed so as to ineline rearwardly and downwardly over the upright frame when the dipper frame is in the upri ht position, and a pair of rails on the platform for supporting a car in position to receive the contents of the dipper when the latter is in the elevated position.

It. fn an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a track, a frame structure mounted on the track and having a track section thereon adapted to receive a car thereon from thev first mentioned track, a. dipper reciprocable to and from the frame and adapted to be swung upwardly to discharge the contents into a car on the track section, and a truck operable on the first mentioned track and adapted to be removably interposed between-said track and the frame structure.

5. ln a device of the class described, the, combination of a track, a truck operable on the track, a frame adapted to be optionally` mounted on the track or the truck, means lle ou the 'frame for optionally engaging the track or the truck for holding-the frame against displacement thereon, a track section on the frame adapted to receive a car thereon from the first mentioned track, a dipper mounted on the frame, and mecha'- nism for operating the dipper to scoop upa quantity of 'material and deposit same in tbe car on the frame.

(3. ln a device ot' the class described, the combination of `a track, a frame mo'vable along the track, a dipper mounted on the frame, hoisting and reciprmatiug meehanism for operating the dipper to Scoop up and discharge a quantity ol material, and means for connecting the dipper with the track whereby operation of the dipper re- .iprocating mechanism forces the frame along the track.

T. In a device of the class described, the combination of a track, a supporting base 'movable along tbc track, a frame rotatable on the base around a vertical axis. a dippcr mounted on the frame. mechanism for reciprocating the dipper to and 'from the frame` and a rail clampin; r device at the rear ol' the device adapted to be engaged by the dipper in its reversed position so that operation ol' the reciprocating mechanism forces lbc loader Yl'oruardly along the rail.

FREI) STAPLES. 

